New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: Survivors share harrowing experiences, ‘Kept shouting for help, but…’

A tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station has claimed the lives of 18 people, including three children, with many others left injured. Survivors and families of the victims have shared harrowing accounts, where one described how a nail pierced a 7-year-old’s head, while others recounted the terrifying experience of gasping for breath for nearly an hour amidst the chaos.

While speaking to NDTV, a man who was headed to Mahakumbh along with his family recounted the terrifying experience during the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, explaining how they initially got off at platform 14 but turned back due to the overwhelming crowd. Concerned for their children, Singh decided to leave, but as they began climbing the stairs, the situation escalated. With just a few steps left, his daughter got trapped as thousands of people surged down from above. In the chaos, a nail tragically pierced his daughter's head. “Meri ladki ke kila ghus gaya (a nail pierced my daughter's head),” Singh told NDTV.

‘Kept shouting for help but…’

A Kirari resident shared his terrifying experience during the stampede, explaining that he and his wife had just arrived at the station to board a train to Prayagraj.

He said, “In no time, people fell on the staircase. There was a lot of pressure from people from both sides as people were climbing up and down the staircase, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

"People trampled all over me and my wife. I kept asking for help but people were in a hurry to move. People were walking over all of us,” he added.

“For nearly an hour, we were gasping for breath. I kept shouting for help but no one was listening to me. I don’t know how we reached the platform from the staircase,” he further added as quoted by HT.

‘My mother was pushed towards platform and thrown onto track’

According to HT report, Ankit Sah whose mother Manisha Devi from Rohtak suffered severe injuries in the stampede said that the crowd was 'uncontrollable.'

He said, “I held my sister and we saved ourselves but my mother was pushed towards the platform and was thrown onto the tracks. We thought we had lost her,” as quoted by HT. Sah's mother who is still undergoing treatment said that railway officials helped him saved his mother. 

“The official helped me pick up my mother. It took us another half an hour to reach the hospital,” he added as quoted by HT.